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Preliminary Notes:

Source books: Outline of Abnormal Psychology, by William McDougall (Scribner's, 1926); Encyclopaedia Britannica (13th Edition), Article on Multiple Personality.

The word personality as used here is one not too well defined by Psychology. Jung, who has followed Freud in his investigations of the complex, describes the word and takes us back to its Latin origin: persona, the mask worn by actors when they change from one character to another in a play. This describes the thing changed in cases of multiple personality. It is the individuality, or traits, which distinguish one human being from another. In describing the changes of personality in a body, little distinction is made between the subconscious and conscious—these being considered by most investigators to be component parts of personality. Jung, however, leads the way in his work by making the distinction of anima (Latin for breath or soul, and corrupted in French to animal) for the subconscious, and persona for the conscious.

The correct description of the phenomenon we are now to investigate should be "multiple anima and persona" instead of "multiple personality."

There are three points which we must watch in the following cases: (1) The appearance or disappearance of either the conscious or subconscious alone, with corresponding changes in personality; (2) The appearance or disappearance of both units combined as a pair; (3) The memories retained by the personalities as they come and go.

If the kahuna theory is correct—that the subconscious alone can remember—then by watching memory we should be able to tell which unit goes or remains.

Webster's International Dictionary speaks of this phenomenon as an abnormal condition of "mind." I prefer to think of it as an abnormal condition of body in which minds come and go, rather than of the various minds involved. Each mind observed is found perfectly normal while in possession of the body—unless lack of memory of its state when out of the body or asleep within it may be considered abnormalities.

The terms used in describing the elements of consciousness involved and the states of consciousness are: A personality cut off from control of the body and brain is said to be "dissociated"; the original personality in a body is the "primary" one, and those that come in to replace it are "secondary"; the personality in temporary control of the body and brain is said to be "dominant," while those who have once appeared and have gone, or who have not yet appeared, are said to be "latent."

In cases of "alternating personalities" two personalities only are involved in the change. If there is "reciprocal amnesia," neither personality remembers anything the other did while in possession of the body. If there is not reciprocal amnesia, one or both may be able to remember what was done in the body during its absence. Under the influence of hypnosis, one or more of these personalities can usually be brought from the latent state and made to answer the questions of the operator. The answers are none too logical as a rule, but they tell such things as could be remembered by any subconscious mind if such memories were stored in it.

This phenomenon is not a new one. Down the ages men have changed personalities or become "possessed." This usually refers to conditions of insanity, but not always. Our attention is now to be fixed on cases where insane personalities were not observed.

The Case:

I will condense a few typical cases which McDougall discusses in the source book mentioned.

Rev. W. S. Plumer first described the following case in Harper's Magazine in 1860: Mary Reynolds, a normal girl of eighteen, was subject to fits for a year. Then, while reading in a meadow one day, she became unconscious. She awoke blind and deaf. This affliction passed in three months. One morning she could not be awakened. Some hours later she awoke of her own accord—to all seeming a new-born baby. She could, however, repeat a few words. Learning with great rapidity, the "baby" began to grow mentally and use the adult brain. In a few weeks the primary personality came back and the secondary one disappeared. This alternation continued for years, the "baby" personality growing up in the process. Neither personality, when dominant, had any knowledge or memory of what the other had done while in possession of body and brain.

Professor Janet describes a case in which one of the alternating personalities knew the memories of the other: Félida began changing personalities at the age of thirteen. She was an hysterical child, but the secondary personality was very different. The secondary personality could remember all the memories of the primary, but the primary none of the memories of the secondary.

Dr. Morton Prince's most famous study was the "Beauchamp Case." At eighteen years of age a young lady began changing personalities. This changing continued for years, five personalities being identified in all—each considering itself a separate individual, and the mutual memories being a tangle.

The childhood of the girl, B, was one marked by emotional stresses and nervousness. Matured, she became a nurse, and received an emotional shock in the course of a love affair. Suddenly "all her peculiarities became exaggerated" and she became ultra-religious. The memory remained unimpaired, but there was a distinct change in characteristics. This change lasted some six years, during which time another personality named "Sally" came and showed her presence only during sleep. At night this Sally talked through the body and took it on sleep-walking excursions.

At the end of the six-year period there came another emotional shock, and a personality called B4 became dominant. This B4 could remember all the events of the life of the original B, but not those of the life of B1.

In the following year B1 and B4 alternated with reciprocal amnesia. Both remembered all that B had done, but knew nothing of the doings of each other. B1 was sickly and mild. B4 was more healthy and far more aggressive. Both were very emotional.

Dr. Prince used hypnosis on the patient. Under hypnotic influence another personality was brought to light. It conversed freely. However, this very interesting personality puzzled the investigator. He was inclined to think she was the original B restored to normal condition and much improved. She resembled both B1 and B4 to some extent, seeming to be a mixture of them and of herself. She is described as "A person of even temperament, frank and open in address—one who seemed to be natural and simple in her mode of thought and manner." She had all the memories. B, B1 and B4 continued to alternate—B now commanding the memories of B1 and B4. During this time B1 and B4 seemed at times to partake of the "emotional characteristics" of each other—a trading back and forth.

After some years the original B became dominant and grew healthy and normal. Sally was interesting. She could be contacted in hypnosis and questioned, although she would alternate with one of the other personalities and often upset the procedure initiated during hypnotic investigation. She considered herself a separate and distinct personality and remembered all the things she had done through or with the body at night. She said she had learned what the other personalities (except B4) were doing by reading their minds when she found their thoughts interesting. When they were reading a book which she disliked, she stopped reading their minds and amused herself with her own thoughts. She disliked B1 and often forced upon her visual hallucinations and certain motor automatisms. At times she took control of B1's voice; often she forced B1 to do things she did not wish to do—things such as telling lies.

When Sally took over the body she could not open her eyes. One of the automatic actions she forced on the others was the rubbing of the eyes. In this way she eventually got her own eyes open and so was able to see, and to dominate the whole organism. Her first success in this came in a moment when the then dominant B1 was drowsily resting. Thereafter, Sally was able at will to displace B1 in normal as well as in hypnotized states. At such times, B1 returned with no memory of what Sally had been doing with the body. In struggles of will, Sally seemed to be able to "paralyze" the will of BI who, although seemingly dominant, was forced to obey orders much like a hypnotized subject, which resulted in Sally's being able to play practical jokes on B1. Unravelling the knitting was a favorite joke. Neither B1 nor B4 had any memory of Sally or her periods of dominance. Sally could not read the thoughts of B4, and could not often force automatisms on her; this, she said, was because B4 had heard of her and fought against any control. At certain times when Sally became dominant she could not get the eyes of the body open; and the skin, deep tissues, and "muscular sense" were all in a condition resembling that of the body when in sleep.

Comment:

Dr. Prince holds that all the various personalities using one body are "split off" parts of the one real personality. His method of treatment was that of blending two or more personalities to get a dominant third. In this he was none too successful.

Professor McDougall, in his study (our source book), decides that each personality is a separate "monad" or entity in itself.

None of the psychologists are willing to admit that these personalities can come and go in and out of the body, and that the subconscious mind can be used by one or more personalities or changed in the body.

My own study of multiple personality data resulted in my accepting the kahuna system of psychology as one better explaining complicated changes which take place.

In some cases which have been reported, a "baby" personality arrives and becomes dominant; in others, an adult personality comes and brings with it a complete change in health—even a paralyzed limb—and a definite memory of a past life in another body.

As psychologists and kahunas disagree, let us go on to see what proof we can find that a "personality" actually can leave a body and return to it.